used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
AFRICANadjectiveUS /ˈæfrəkən/
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It is the size of a small cottage at home.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
brought into existence
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
a small house with a single story
From this reading It is the size of a small cottage at home.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
give a description of
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
the act of departing
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It is the size of a small cottage at home.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
temporary military shelter
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
hutsnounUS /hʌts/
plural of “hut” — temporary military shelter
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading It is the size of a small cottage at home.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It is the size of a small cottage at home.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
plural of “son” — a male human offspring
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
make square
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This hut is a square one, and a good deal larger than you would imagine.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/
plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
at the time that
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will you let me first try to describe this house I am in, and the village of which it is part, as being what most African huts and villages are like, and in which black boys and girls are born and play.
showing curiosity
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
the act of creating written works
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading AN AFRICAN HOUSE You must be wondering when you are going to hear about the children of Africa, for I am sure you want to know about them now, the little sons and daughters of the big black people I have so far written about.
yourselvespronounUS /jʊrˈselvz/
used when the people spoken to are both doing and receiving the action
From this reading Well, it so happens that I am sitting writing this story in a native hut in Africa, many thousands of miles away from you; and if any of you wanted to come and join me here and see for yourselves, you would have to travel a good many weeks to reach me.
